Molded running board

a running board and molded technology, applied in the direction of transportation and packaging, vehicle components, step arrangement, etc., can solve the problems of high manufacturing cost, high manufacturing cost, and high cost of manufacturing and coating of the structural support portion, and achieve the effect of adequate rigidity

Inactive Publication Date: 2006-02-14
DECOMA INT
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]wherein said first moldable material has structural characteris...

Problems solved by technology

A drawback of these conventional steel running boards is that they are quite heavy and costly to manufacture.
A drawback of the bi-material running boards ...

Method used

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Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

first embodiment

[0042]Turning now more specifically to FIGS. 1 to 3 of the appended drawings, a molded running board 10 according to the present invention will be described.

[0043]The molded running board 10 comprises a structural support portion 12; a top portion 14; and thin strands of an electromagnetic adhesive material 16 provided between the support portion 12 and the top portion 14.

[0044]As can be seen from FIG. 1, the support portion 12 is generally open and comprises reinforcing ribs 18 running lengthwise and transverse (not shown), and front and rear ends 20, 22 respectively provided with reinforcing ribs 24 and 26.

[0045]Three brackets 28, 30 and 32 are provided to mount the support portion 12 to a vehicle (not shown) for which the running board 10 is intended.

[0046]As can be better seen from FIG. 2, the three brackets 28, 30 and 32 are integrally formed with the support portion 12. It is however to be noted that the brackets 28, 30 and 32 could alternatively be formed separately, out of p...

second embodiment

[0062]Turning now to FIGS. 4 to 6, a molded running board 100 according to the present invention will be described.

[0063]Since the molded running board 100 is very similar to the molded running board 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, only the differences therebetween will be discussed in detail hereinbelow.

[0064]The molded running board 100 comprises a support portion 102, a top portion 104 and thin strands of material 106. These three elements being substantially as described in relation to the corresponding ones comprised in the molded running board 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0065]A major difference between the molded running board 100 and the molded running boards 10 can be better seen in FIGS. 5 and 6 where it is clearly shown that a bottom portion of the support portion 102 includes apertures 108. These apertures 108 allow both for a reduction in weight and cost of the support portion 102 and for the drainage of liquid that could enter the molded running board 100.

[0066]It i...

third embodiment

[0068]Turning now to FIGS. 7 to 9 of the appended drawings, a molded running board 200 according to the present invention will now be described.

[0069]As can be better seen from FIG. 9, the molded running board 200 comprises a generally U-shaped cross-section support portion 202, a corresponding, also generally U-shaped, top portion 204, a string of material 206 and a step pad 208 that can be mounted onto the top portion 204. Again, the support portion 202 comprises three brackets 210, 212 and 214 (FIGS. 7 and 8) that allow the molded running board 200 to be mounted to a vehicle (not shown).

[0070]The support portion 202 includes reinforcing ribs 216 and edge portions 218 provided with a rectangular channel 220 therein. As can be seen from FIG. 9, the string of material 206 is inserted in the channel 220.

[0071]The top portion 204 includes a generally flat under-surface 222 configured and sized to contact and complementarily fit with the free ends 216a and 216b of the reinforcing ribs ...

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Abstract

A molded running board provided with a support portion and a top portion is described herein. The support portion is made of plastic material and provided with reinforcing ribs and the top portion is made of a plastic material that is advantageously compatible with the plastic material forming the support portion. A method for the assembly of such a molded running board is also described herein. This method includes the welding of a top portion to a support portion via the use of a thin strand of plastic material compatible with material used in the top portion and the support portion and metallic particles in an electromagnetic press, for example.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention is concerned with molded running boards. More specifically, the present invention relates to a molding running board having a reinforced plastic molded support portion, to which is fixedly mounted a top or step portion also made of plastic material.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Running boards are very well known in the art. They are usually mounted to the frames or sill of small trucks such as pick-up trucks and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) or to other vehicles to help the users to get in and out of the vehicle.[0003]Conventionally, these running boards are made of metallic material such as steel, which is finished by chrome plating for example, or painted, both for aesthetic reasons and for protection against a corrosive environment. A drawback of these conventional steel running boards is that they are quite heavy and costly to manufacture.[0004]More recently, running boards having a structural support portion made of coated st...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): B60R3/00
CPCB60R3/002
Inventor LANOUE, MICHELMERCIER, NORMANDBEGIN, PHILIPPE
Owner DECOMA INT
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